Airport line-cutting gets an upgrade

With the sequester adding to airport wait times, can VIP programs help?

By

KelliB. Grant

1000 Words / Shutterstock.com

Travelers worried about the growing prospect of longer airport security lines can increasingly find services that’ll set their fears to rest — for a price.

Sequestration could result in lengthier waits. At an event earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said budget cuts had reduced funds available to pay overtime for Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection workers, forcing unpaid leave. With fewer agents on duty, lines are “150% to 200% as long as we would normally expect,” she said. The TSA also released a statement warning travelers of extended waits as the cuts, which include a hiring freeze, result in a smaller workforce over time. “We expect that during busy travel periods, wait times exceeding 30 to 40 minutes could double at nearly all of the largest airports,” reports the agency. Even during off-peak times, waits could exceed 30 minutes, so travelers may want to arrive even earlier than they usually plan to.

Whether those predictions bear out or not, the TSA, airlines and other entities have introduced more options in recent months to help consumers lessen their wait. Throughout 2012, the TSA expanded Pre Check — its expedited screening program currently available only to select frequent fliers on participating airlines and members of CBP’s Global Entry program ($100 every five years) — from six airports nationwide to 35. By April 1, it says, five more — including Memphis International and Nashville International in Tennessee — will have the program. Biometric identity firm Clear (up to $179 per year), meanwhile, added Westchester County Airport in New York in October as its fifth location with members-only security lines. “We’re working tirelessly to build out new airports,” says chief executive Caryn Seidman-Becker.

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On the airline side, JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic are the most recent airlines to begin offering elite frequent fliers and select other passengers access to separate security lines in some airports, a perk long offered by major carriers. And in late February, United began selling “Premier Access” to faster security lines, among other services, for prices starting at $9 per flight segment.

Some frequent travelers say such programs can be the difference between making your flight and missing it when check-in lines are lengthy or when you arrive late. “Even if it’s a $100 program fee, it can save you that in a trip sometimes, if you’re not one of those people who get to the airport really early,” says Harriet Baskas, author of “Stuck at the Airport.” But even travelers with time to spare may simply need to spend less of it in line. Clear members, for example, typically spend less than five minutes in line, with some clocking in under the two-minute mark in a recent challenge, says Seidman-Becker.

But paying to cut the line isn’t yet a perfect solution. With a limited number of airports participating in the various programs, faster security may only be available for one leg of your trip — or none, depending on where you travel, says George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog.com. For example, if you’re flying through Florida’s Orlando International Airport, TSA Pre Check, Clear, Delta and United all have designated lines, but of the four, only TSA Pre Check has a line in North Carolina’s Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Plus, travelers are typically only speeding through the portion of the security process that leads up to an agent checking their identification and boarding pass.

There may still be a wait at screening stations from longer lines, although Pre Check users can skip some of the usual preparations like removing shoes and jackets. Travelers may also find that the expedited line gets slower as more people opt in, Hobica says. “Too many people qualify,” he says. “You’ll see, sometimes those lines are longer than the regular one.”

Before buying in, check to see if you’re already covered. American Express covers the $100 Global Entry fee for its Platinum cardholders, for example. United MileagePlus Club cardholders also get expedited security access as a perk. (Those cards, however, carry annual fees of $450 and $395, respectively.) Elite frequent fliers typically have access, as do first and business class passengers — but even travelers who simply bought extra-legroom seats may qualify on airlines such as JetBlue.

Travelers may find they don’t even need the edge. Off-peak days (particularly Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and hours tend to have fewer travelers, which mean lines are shorter, too. Some airports — including Dulles International and Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport — also post real-time wait times. “You can check which checkpoints have the longest line,” says Baskas. (Some airports are structured to allow entry through any of several checkpoints, so that knowledge can help travelers reroute, she says.) Airlines that offer faster security as a one-off purchase typically allow you to buy as late as check-in, so eyeball the line first to see if it’s worth it.

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